Indianapolis Colts cornerback Greg Toler (28) is called for interference on New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. / Jim O'Connor, USA TODAY Sports

by Chris Strauss, USA TODAY Sports

by Chris Strauss, USA TODAY Sports

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. â?? The New York Giants can shake off this loss.

After star receiver Victor Cruz left Sunday night's game versus the Indianapolis Colts with a foot injury suffered on his team's first drive, the potential ramifications of the Giants' second preseason matchup suddenly loomed much larger than the final result on the MetLife Stadium scoreboard.

Andrew Luck and the Colts (1-1) offense put up 17 consecutive points after Cruz headed to the locker room to get an X-ray less than halfway into the first quarter. The Giants (1-1) never recovered from the deficit, losing 20-12, but the defeat was secondary to the news that the Pro Bowl receiver, who signed a six-year, $46 million contract before training camp, had only suffered a bruised heel.

"He jammed his heel and is sore so that's all I know at this point," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "He runs to make his living and he's obviously got an issue with the heel. Hopefully it's not going to be a long thing."

Coughlin said that the team's medical staff will continue to do some testing and that he couldn't determine if Cruz would miss the team's next preseason game against the Jets on Saturday. Cruz was injured after getting tangled up with Colts defensive backs Antoine Bethea and Greg Toler. Bethea was called for pass interference on the play, resulting in a 39-yard gain for the Giants. He stayed in the game for several more plays before leaving the field. Cruz left MetLife Stadium before the locker rooms opened to reporters after the game.

"He felt fine," Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks said after the game. "I don't really know what the details of the injury was but he said he was fine. I really don't think it's that serious. I think they just played it safe by holding him out."

Starting center David Baas and defensive end Justin Tuck also suffered what appear to minor injuries, with Baas diagnosed with a sprained knee and Tuck suffering a slight hamstring strain. Coughlin refused to elaborate on either injury, indicating that they'll have more information Monday.

The Giants struggled to do much on offense during the exhibition, regardless of which unit was in the game. Eli Manning completed 8 for 17 passes for 91 yards and an interception in two quarters of action, as all of the Giants' points came from kicker Josh Brown's four field goals. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck appeared much sharper, throwing 9 of 13 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns on four offensive drives.

"We didn't make any plays," Coughlin said. "We made one or two but nowhere near enough. We had many opportunities and didn't come away with anything. I thought we had two interceptions there on two touchdowns of theirs. We were in scoring territory a bunch of times and didn't come away with touchdowns. That continues to be an area of concern for us all."

The first of the two near-interceptions Coughlin mentioned referred to Reggie Wayne's 28-yard first-quarter touchdown pass from Andrew Luck, which may be the best highlight so far this preseason. After Giants cornerback Aaron Ross deflected what should have been a sure pick, Wayne made a sprawling grab in the end zone to give the Colts a 7-3 lead.

"I knew it was a pick," Ross said. "I saw it leave his hands and then as soon as I looked up, the lights just took the ball away. I couldn't see anymore and that's what kind of made me fall. As soon as I fell back, it hit my hands and it kind of shocked me. So it just popped up and I turned around and Reggie was catching the ball. One of those plays you can't get back."

Neither team was able to find the end zone with their first team units on the sideline, exchanging a pair of second half field goals.

"We had three opportunities with that first group of getting down there to the five yard line or near it and not getting a touchdown," Manning said. "That's something where we've got to get better. We're having good drives and getting the ball close to the end zone but need to finish up with seven points instead of three."

Making sure that a healthy Cruz is in the lineup for the team's Week 1 matchup at Dallas will go a long way towards making that happen. Cruz has 19 touchdowns for the Giants in the past two seasons and has scored the team's only touchdown of the preseason, a 57-yard reception in the first quarter of last week's game against Pittsburgh.

The Giants will make two more preseason appearances, following Saturday's "city game" with the Jets with a trip to Foxboro to face the New England Patriots on August 29.